17 Jun 16. Centcom Officials Announce Counterterrorism Strikes in Yemen. The U.S. military conducted three counterterrorism strikes June 8-12 against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula in central Yemen, killing six al-Qaida operatives and injuring one, U.S. Central Command officials announced today.
A strike June 8 in Badya governorate resulted in the deaths of two al-Qaida operatives along with the destruction of their vehicle loaded with weapons, officials said. Another strike conducted June 10 in Marib governorate killed two al-Qaida operatives. A June 12 strike in Shabwah governorate killed two more al-Qaida operatives, injured another, and destroyed the vehicle they were traveling in.
Significant Regional Threat
Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula remains a significant threat to the region, the United States and beyond, Centcom officials said in a statement announcing the strikes. Al-Qaida’s presence has a destabilizing effect on Yemen, they said, and the organization is using the unrest in Yemen to provide a haven from which to plan future attacks against U.S. allies, as well as against the United States and its interests.
“The U.S. will not relent in its mission to degrade, disrupt and destroy al-Qaida and its remnants,” the statement said. “We remain committed to defeating [al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula] and denying it safe haven regardless of its location.
U.S. strikes in Yemen continue to diminish the organization’s presence in the region, officials added.
17 Jun 16. War Rages in Yemen, Despite UAE Ceasing Active Military Ops. Despite the United Arab Emirates’s announcement Wednesday that it will cease its military operations in Yemen, the war is not over.
UAE’s minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, made the announcement during a lecture held at the crown prince of Abu Dhabi’s court: “Our standpoint is clear: War is over for our troops. We are monitoring political arrangements, empowering Yemenis in liberated areas.”
When the statement was released no responses were issued by the Saudi government or the coalition leadership in Riyadh concerning the cessation of UAE military activities.
Gargash on Thursday released a public statement elaborating that the military is still part of the Saudi-led coalition “as an able and true partner to Riyadh.”
“Our armed forces, as I have stated in my lecture, has performed its duties in the most courageous and professional manner and this will continue with Saudi Arabia until the coalition announces the end of the war,” he said.
The coalition has been engaging in UN-sponsored peace talks with Houthi rebels now for almost two months.
Despite the negotiations, Gargash stressed that there is still no unified vision for the future.
“After 50 discouraging days of Yemeni peace talks in Kuwait, there is no unified vision for the future. There are alarming signs that the south wants to defect and that radicalism is on the rise,” he said.
Other obstacles Yemen faces include the rise of al-Qaida with the support of the Muslim Brotherhood, the minister added. He blamed Iranian influence for fueling sectarian divisions in the region and “exporting chaos.”
“The future of stability means taking a bigger stance when it comes to national security. Legitimacy needs to be restored and the Iranian influence has to be stopped. It’s time that the line be drawn,” he added.
According to Ahmed Al Astad, chairman of Abu Dhabi-based Strategic Center for Energy Studies and Decision Support, the UAE will focus on the security and developmental operations in Yemen.
“The UAE forces have been operating, ensuring that the spread of al-Qaida and Islamic State terrorists are stopped and nipped,” Al Astad said.
“The security posture is to enhance political, social and security stability in the country, making operations and activities focused on development and empowering Yemenis to regain control over their affairs, which in turn reflects on regional security and stability,” he